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Pre A1 Starters Practice Tests

10 full-length practice tests in the official Pre A1 Starters format. Each test has three papers — Listening, Reading & Writing and Speaking — with audio and instant feedback.

10practice tests
45minutes per test
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🎧 Listening📖 Reading & Writing🗣️ Speaking

Pre A1 Starters Practice Test 10 with Answers

A free, interactive Pre A1 Starters practice test with answers, about 45 minutes.

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This Pre A1 Starters Practice Test 10 has 3 papers — Listening, Reading & Writing and Speaking. Choose a paper below to start; your browser will load the interactive version automatically.

Listening

Part 1

Listen and look. There is one example. Draw a line from the name to the correct person.

  1. Names: Sue, Eva, Pat, Ann, Mark, Nick. Listen and draw a line from each name to the right person.

Part 2

Listen and write. There is one example.

  1. Listen and write: Name of Hugo's teacher:
  2. Listen and write: How many children?
  3. Listen and write: Name of Hugo's friend:
  4. Listen and write: How many monkeys?
  5. Listen and write: Name of the baby elephant:

Part 3

Listen and tick the box. There is one example.

  1. Question 1: listen and choose the correct picture.
  2. Question 2: listen and choose the correct picture.
  3. Question 3: listen and choose the correct picture.
  4. Question 4: listen and choose the correct picture.
  5. Question 5: listen and choose the correct picture.

Part 4

Listen and colour. There is one example.

  1. Listen and colour: the ball on the car, the ball in the tree, the ball in front of the door, the ball next to the bike, the ball on the wall, the ball under the car.

Reading & Writing

Part 1

Look and read. Put a tick (✓) or a cross (✗) in the box. There are two examples.

  1. This is a lizard. — ✓ / ✗
  2. This is a duck. — ✓ / ✗
  3. This is an ice cream. — ✓ / ✗
  4. Look! This is a hat. — ✓ / ✗
  5. This is a teddy. — ✓ / ✗

Part 2

Look and read. Write yes or no. There are two examples.

  1. The boy in the red T-shirt is painting a flower. — yes / no
  2. The girl with glasses is drawing a cat. — yes / no
  3. There is a computer on the teacher's desk. — yes / no
  4. The girl in the pink dress is eating. — yes / no
  5. There is a spider on the window. — yes / no

Part 3

Look at the pictures. Look at the letters. Write the words. There is one example.

  1. Make the word from the letters: M-Y-E-N-O-K
  2. Make the word from the letters: E-P-I-D-R-S
  3. Make the word from the letters: A-R-B-E-Z
  4. Make the word from the letters: L-T-E-N-P-A-E-H
  5. Make the word from the letters: G-A-O-T

Part 4 — Monkeys

Read the text. Choose a word from the box. Write the correct word next to numbers 1–5. There is one example.

  1. (sing / tail / big)
  2. (tail / green / jump)
  3. (sing / bananas / big)
  4. (look / green / bananas)
  5. (sing / look / big)

Part 5

Look at the pictures and read the questions. Write one-word answers.

  1. What colour is Dan's hat?
  2. What is Pat eating?
  3. Which animal has got Dan's hat?
  4. Where is the dog now?
  5. What is Pat giving the dog?

Speaking

Part 1 — Look, point and put

Look at the picture. Point to the things I say. Then put the cards on the picture.

  1. Where's the cat? Point to the cat. Example: (No answer. Point to the cat.)
  2. Now, where's the door? Point to the door. Example: (No answer. Point to the door.)
  3. Put the bird in the tree. Example: (No answer. Put the bird card in the tree.)
  4. Put the fish in the water. Example: (No answer. Put the fish card in the water.)
  5. Put the ball under the table. Example: (No answer. Put the ball card under the table.)

Part 2 — Look and answer

Now look at the picture and answer my questions.

  1. Look at the table. What's this? Example: It's a cake.
  2. What colour is the cat? Example: It's black.
  3. How many flowers are there? Example: Four. There are four flowers.
  4. What's the boy in the orange T-shirt doing? Example: He's jumping.
  5. Now, tell me about the girl in the green dress. Example: She's got a green dress. She's reading a book.

Part 3 — Look and answer

Now look at these pictures and answer my questions.

  1. Look at this picture. What's this? Is it big or small? Example: It's a duck. It's small.
  2. And what's this? Do you like it? Example: It's an ice cream. Yes, I do! / No, I don't.
  3. Now, what's this? Have you got a toy one? Example: It's a train. Yes, I have. / No, I haven't.
  4. And this picture. What's this? What colour is it? Example: It's a lemon. It's yellow.
  5. What's your favourite fruit? Example: My favourite fruit is bananas.

Part 4 — About you

Now let's talk about you.

  1. How old are you? Example: I'm seven.
  2. Which animals do you like? Example: I like monkeys and elephants.
  3. Have you got a dog or a cat? Example: Yes, I've got a cat. / No, I haven't.
  4. What do you do in the park? Example: I play football with my friends.

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Pre A1 Starters Practice Test 1 with Answers

Playground

Listening · Reading & Writing · Speaking · about 45 min

Start Test 1 →

Pre A1 Starters Practice Test 2 with Answers

Park

Listening · Reading & Writing · Speaking · about 45 min

Start Test 2 →

Pre A1 Starters Practice Test 3 with Answers

Classroom

Listening · Reading & Writing · Speaking · about 45 min

Start Test 3 →

Pre A1 Starters Practice Test 4 with Answers

Room

Listening · Reading & Writing · Speaking · about 45 min

Start Test 4 →

Pre A1 Starters Practice Test 5 with Answers

Garden

Listening · Reading & Writing · Speaking · about 45 min

Start Test 5 →

Pre A1 Starters Practice Test 6 with Answers

Beach

Listening · Reading & Writing · Speaking · about 45 min

Start Test 6 →

Pre A1 Starters Practice Test 7 with Answers

Street

Listening · Reading & Writing · Speaking · about 45 min

Start Test 7 →

Pre A1 Starters Practice Test 8 with Answers

Kitchen

Listening · Reading & Writing · Speaking · about 45 min

Start Test 8 →

Pre A1 Starters Practice Test 9 with Answers

Shop

Listening · Reading & Writing · Speaking · about 45 min

Start Test 9 →

The three Starters papers

Pre A1 Starters is made up of three papers, exactly as in the real exam. You can sit a whole test or practise one paper at a time:

How Starters is scored

Starters has no pass or fail — it is designed to be a positive experience for young learners. Children earn up to five shields on each paper; five shields shows very good understanding. On 7ESL each completed paper also gives XP.

What is Pre A1 Starters?

Pre A1 Starters (often called Cambridge Starters or YLE Starters) is the first of the three Cambridge English Qualifications for young learners, followed by A1 Movers and A2 Flyers. It is set by Cambridge University Press & Assessment for children aged roughly 6 to 12 who are just beginning English, and it tests the level below A1 on the CEFR scale: simple words, short phrases and very basic questions about everyday things such as family, animals, colours and the classroom.

The whole exam takes about 45 minutes. The standard version is taken on paper at an authorised centre, with a face-to-face Speaking test. Cambridge also offers Pre A1 Starters Digital, where the Listening and Reading & Writing papers are done on a computer or laptop (not a tablet) and the Speaking test is still face to face. Both versions test the same skills at the same level. The current task types were introduced in Cambridge’s 2018 revision of the young learners tests and are described in its 2024 handbook for teachers.

Who takes Starters and why

Most candidates are primary-school children. Schools and language academies use Starters as a first, friendly experience of an English exam, and parents use it to see what their child can already do. It is not an admissions or visa test: its purpose is to motivate young children and give them a clear, positive goal.

Starters works best when a child can:

  • recognise and spell common words from the official Cambridge word list;
  • understand short, slow instructions such as “Put the ball under the chair”;
  • answer simple questions about their name, age and favourite things.

Children who finish Starters comfortably usually move on to A1 Movers about a year later.

Pre A1 Starters format at a glance

PaperPartsQuestionsTime
Listening420about 20 minutes
Reading & Writing52520 minutes
Speaking4–3–5 minutes

In Listening, each recording is played twice, and children answer by drawing lines, writing names or numbers, ticking pictures and colouring. The Speaking test is one child with one examiner, who begins with a simple greeting to help the child relax.

Results: how the shields work

There is no pass mark. Every child who takes the exam receives a certificate, and each paper is shown with one to five shields, so the best possible result is 15 shields in total. Five shields means the child did very well on that skill; fewer shields show where there is still room to grow. The back of the certificate explains how the young learners exams link to the CEFR, and Cambridge also maps the results to the Cambridge English Scale.

Results for the digital version usually arrive 5 to 10 days after the exam; paper-based results take longer. Cambridge certificates do not expire. Fees and dates are set by each exam centre, so check the fee in your country.

How to prepare with 7ESL

Our Starters practice tests are written in the public Starters format, so your child meets every task type before exam day. You can take a full test or practise one skill at a time:

  • Listening practice – clear audio at a child-friendly speed, with instant marking;
  • Reading & Writing practice – picture tasks, yes/no questions and spelling, all marked automatically;
  • Speaking practice – the examiner’s questions are read aloud, then there is a quiet pause for your child to answer, followed by a model answer.

Each test uses a different topic, such as the park, the kitchen or the zoo, so vocabulary builds up naturally. Shields and XP keep young learners motivated.

Tips for parents

Keep practice short: one paper a day is plenty at this age. Sit with your child for the Speaking practice and let them point at the picture as they answer, just as they will in the real test. Praise full answers, but remember that one-word answers are often acceptable at Starters level. On exam day, bring the pencils and coloured pencils the centre asks for, and make sure your child knows the examiner is friendly and will help if they get stuck.

Sources checked for this page

Study the matching course

Want to master the English behind the exam? Our A1 English course teaches the grammar, vocabulary and skills at Pre A1 level — with structured lessons, worksheets and videos. It is the ideal companion to these Starters practice tests: learn on the course, then check your progress here.

Pre A1 Starters — frequently asked questions

What is in the Cambridge Pre A1 Starters exam?

Pre A1 Starters (CEFR Pre A1) has three papers: Listening, Reading & Writing and Speaking.

How many Starters practice tests are there?

There are 10 free online Starters practice tests on 7ESL, each with all three papers and a different set of topics.

Are the Starters practice tests free?

Yes. Every Starters practice test on 7ESL is free and needs no sign-up. Log in to save your XP and progress.

How is Starters scored?

Starters has no pass or fail — it is designed to be a positive experience for young learners. Children earn up to five shields on each paper; five shields shows very good understanding. On 7ESL each completed paper also gives XP.

Are these official Cambridge tests?

No. These are original 7ESL practice materials that follow the public Starters format. 7ESL is not affiliated with Cambridge Assessment English.

7ESL practice material written in the official Cambridge English exam format. 7ESL is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, Cambridge Assessment English. “Cambridge English”, “Starters”, “Movers”, “Flyers”, “A2 Key”, “B1 Preliminary”, “B2 First”, “C1 Advanced”, “C2 Proficiency” and related names are trademarks of their respective owners.